Coco Montoya: Suspicion
By Harvey McCarter
Coco Montoya recently jumped ship from Blind Pig records to Chicago-based Alligator records, and I'm quite sure the label is proud to have this left-handed virtuoso. Montoya wastes no time getting down and dirty. From the funky swamp boogie of the "Casting My Spell", to the biting tone of "Fool", Montoya shows off the chops that have earned him a reputation as a now and future guitar legend. Surrounding yourself with some of the best players in the business is always helpful. The main ingredient is some tasty keyboard work by longtime bandmate Benny Yee. Seeing these guys play live together is always a treat. They feed off each other's energy and the energy of the crowd, taking the performance to a whole new plateau. Coco's guitar work is nothing short of amazing on this disc. Case in point, track number 5, "Don't Take It Personally", a hard rocking, foot stomper, is sure to be a crowd pleaser. One will notice on this release that Montoya spices up the mix with lots of horns, and they fit in nicely. "I Need Your Love In My Life" and "What I Know Now", proves you can mix Chicago guitar blues with Memphis style horns. Mr. Montoya is generally a rocking bluesman, but slows things down nicely on "Good Days, Bad Days", however, my favorite track is the emotion filled ballad, "Nothing but Love". "Nothing But Love" is dedicated to several people, but of these individuals, the strongest message is sent out to the late great Albert Collins. Collins was the man who motivated the drummer, Coco Montoya, to pick up the guitar. I can only imagine being given exclusive guitar lessons from a guy like Albert Collins. Listen closely to "Nothing But Love", and you will understand that Collins and Montoya were more than bandmates and friends. Albert seems to serve as a musical father and spiritual influence that will walk with Coco for the rest of his days. In closing, I will say that I love the disc, but the neighbors might not, hence the constant requests to "turn it down". I highly recommend picking up this disc for your collection and by all means come and check out Coco and his band live at Buddy Guys Legends, March 11Th, 2000.
